Muffins & Mayhem by Suzanne Beecher
Published by Touchstone A Division of Simon & Schuster
ISBN 978-1-4391-1287-8
At the request of Media Muscle, The Book Trib, a HC was sent, at no cost to me, for my honest opinion.
  Synopsis (partially from book’s jacket): Suzanne has had her own share of troubles to over-come. Left home alone at an early age, she struggled with difficult and distant parents, dealt with heartbreak, became a hard working single mom, and overcame two substance addictions and a physical impairment. But along the way, she found comfort in baking and sharing food with her friend and family. She learned to take the good with the bad, and here life is now inspiring proof that faith and persistence are the keys to her success.
  My Thoughts and Opinion: Where do I begin because there are many aspects of this book. Ms. Beecher, an only child of working parents, she took on the role of cook, house cleaner and oversaw all household chores at the early age of eight (8). Her love of baking and her many recipes is how she remembers stages of her life. She shares those recipes in each chapter along with her sense of humor, insecurities and neuroses. I have not tried any recipes yet, but plan to after my recuperation period. Her writing style made me feel that she was talking to me over muffins and coffee. At times, I found myself laughing out loud, the next chapter, rooting for her and the next feeling her emotional pain and empathizing with her. A few tidbits of a look inside this book. Again, the recipes, which I will share one with you. How her mother taught her to put clothes into the freezer straight from the wash before drying and then she could iron them (had never heard of that one). How she battled a physical disability, through her faith and a friendship with a 92 year old woman, Amy, who taught her some tips in the kitchen. And my favorite chapters, entitled In -a-Pickle where she describes incidents that are so funny, I actually was laughing out loud. I loved this book. It wasn’t the usual type of book that I read but thoroughly enjoyed it. Another positive was all the recipes that she shares, this book is going on my shelf with my cook books. Ms. Beecher had me wishing I knew her and could share stories over coffee.

This recipe makes 5 crusts. The name says it all; you just can’t fail when you’re making this piecrust. If you’re a beginner, this is the recipe for you.
4 c. all purpose flour, lightly spooned into a cup
2 tsp salt
1/2 c. water
1 TB sugar
1 3/4 c. shortening (not lard or butter)
1 egg
1 TB apple cider vinegar
Mix all ingredients well and divide in 5 balls. Slightly flatten each like a giant hamburger, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until cold if using right away. Or you can freeze for later use (To freeze, wrap each one in wax paper and freeze in a freezer bag-you’ll always have a piecrust on hand. This dough won’t get tough if you re-roll it).

Muffins & Mayhem by Suzanne Beecher
Published by Touchstone A Division of Simon & Schuster
ISBN 978-1-4391-1287-8
At the request of Media Muscle, The Book Trib, a HC was sent, at no cost to me, for my honest opinion.
  Synopsis (partially from book’s jacket): Suzanne has had her own share of troubles to over-come. Left home alone at an early age, she struggled with difficult and distant parents, dealt with heartbreak, became a hard working single mom, and overcame two substance addictions and a physical impairment. But along the way, she found comfort in baking and sharing food with her friend and family. She learned to take the good with the bad, and here life is now inspiring proof that faith and persistence are the keys to her success.
  My Thoughts and Opinion: Where do I begin because there are many aspects of this book. Ms. Beecher, an only child of working parents, she took on the role of cook, house cleaner and oversaw all household chores at the early age of eight (8). Her love of baking and her many recipes is how she remembers stages of her life. She shares those recipes in each chapter along with her sense of humor, insecurities and neuroses. I have not tried any recipes yet, but plan to after my recuperation period. Her writing style made me feel that she was talking to me over muffins and coffee. At times, I found myself laughing out loud, the next chapter, rooting for her and the next feeling her emotional pain and empathizing with her. A few tidbits of a look inside this book. Again, the recipes, which I will share one with you. How her mother taught her to put clothes into the freezer straight from the wash before drying and then she could iron them (had never heard of that one). How she battled a physical disability, through her faith and a friendship with a 92 year old woman, Amy, who taught her some tips in the kitchen. And my favorite chapters, entitled In -a-Pickle where she describes incidents that are so funny, I actually was laughing out loud. I loved this book. It wasn’t the usual type of book that I read but thoroughly enjoyed it. Another positive was all the recipes that she shares, this book is going on my shelf with my cook books. Ms. Beecher had me wishing I knew her and could share stories over coffee.

This recipe makes 5 crusts. The name says it all; you just can’t fail when you’re making this piecrust. If you’re a beginner, this is the recipe for you.
4 c. all purpose flour, lightly spooned into a cup
2 tsp salt
1/2 c. water
1 TB sugar
1 3/4 c. shortening (not lard or butter)
1 egg
1 TB apple cider vinegar
Mix all ingredients well and divide in 5 balls. Slightly flatten each like a giant hamburger, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until cold if using right away. Or you can freeze for later use (To freeze, wrap each one in wax paper and freeze in a freezer bag-you’ll always have a piecrust on hand. This dough won’t get tough if you re-roll it).

Returning Injury by Becky Due
Published by Due Publications
ISBN 0-9746212-3-4
13 ISBN: 978-0-9746212-3-4
At the request of Pump Up Your Book, a PB copy was sent, at no cost to me, for my honest review.
  Synopsis: (back of book):  Rebecca’s life just keeps getting better.  With Hack away on business, she’s looking forward to four days alone to work on her new client’s PR campaign to help women take back their lives.  But her past intrudes. Roy, the man who stalked and assaulted her years before, has been released from prison.  Home alone in their big, beautiful house out in the country, Rebecca has to learn to take back her own life while facing her fears and regaining her strength.  But will she be strong enough when she faces the ultimate test?
  My Thoughts and Opinion:   There were two (2) profound issues that I took away from this book when I had turned the last page.  One was what the term feminist meant and what a a simple explanation it really was, the equality of men and women, not in physical strength of the two but the equal rights and intellectual strength that should be afforded to both genders.  The second being the traumatic incidents that women face in this day and age and how that type of scarring affects and shapes a person’s heart, mind and soul.  The title of this book surprised me when it was conveyed in a sentence that Returning Injury was the definition for revenge.  However, the rest of the story line left much to be desired.  It was almost 200 pages of repetition about Rebecca and her dog, Lily, and their routine while Rebecca’s husband was out of town for a couple of days.  I felt that the first and last chapters were the only ones that contained what little suspense that there was in the entire book and even then it was of a simplistic nature.  There were settings, whereas the writer tried to convey the character’s emotions of anxiety as when there was a thunderstorm but even then the descriptions did not contain much depth.  I felt, and this is only my opinion, but that the writing style was simplistic, the characters one dimensional and the suspense lacking.

Never Let You Go by Erin Healy
Published by Thomas Nelson, Inc.
ISBN978-1-59554-750-7
At the request of Phenix & Phenix, a PB copy was sent, at no cost to me, for my honest opinion.
  Synopsis (back of book): Losing everything has Lexi clinging to her daughter. Hell is determined to loosen her grip.
  It’s been seven years since disaster struck her family. Lexi Solomon has held it all together since then-just barely.
  But now Lexi is losing it. The husband who deserted her is back in town, wanting to see their daughter Molly. Her sister’s shameless murderer is up for parole. An unsavory old friend is demanding payment for debts that Lexi knows nothing about and can’t begin to meet.
  And something else is going on-something Lexi feels but can’t explain. A dangerous shift is taking place between this reality and the next. Forces beyond her imagination are vying for control.
  My Thoughts and Opinion: Unfortunately, I was unable to finish this book. I pushed my way through 150 pages and there was little that grabbed me. The characters were non relatable and the storyline dragged. What little suspense there was, it was slow paced and not what I am usually used to. I could tell from the pages that I did read, what the plot entailed. This may be a book that others might like, but for me, and this is my opinion only, I found it hard to get through and had to set it aside.

Never Let You Go by Erin Healy
Published by Thomas Nelson, Inc.
ISBN978-1-59554-750-7
At the request of Phenix & Phenix, a PB copy was sent, at no cost to me, for my honest opinion.
  Synopsis (back of book): Losing everything has Lexi clinging to her daughter. Hell is determined to loosen her grip.
  It’s been seven years since disaster struck her family. Lexi Solomon has held it all together since then-just barely.
  But now Lexi is losing it. The husband who deserted her is back in town, wanting to see their daughter Molly. Her sister’s shameless murderer is up for parole. An unsavory old friend is demanding payment for debts that Lexi knows nothing about and can’t begin to meet.
  And something else is going on-something Lexi feels but can’t explain. A dangerous shift is taking place between this reality and the next. Forces beyond her imagination are vying for control.
  My Thoughts and Opinion: Unfortunately, I was unable to finish this book. I pushed my way through 150 pages and there was little that grabbed me. The characters were non relatable and the storyline dragged. What little suspense there was, it was slow paced and not what I am usually used to. I could tell from the pages that I did read, what the plot entailed. This may be a book that others might like, but for me, and this is my opinion only, I found it hard to get through and had to set it aside.

Dare To Die by Carolyn Hart
Published by Avon Mystery
ISBN 978-0-06-145305-2
At the request of Bestsellersworld, a PB copy was sent, at no cost to me, for my honest opinion.
     On the quaint island of Broward’s Rock, a native daughter has returned after a ten (10) year absence. Riding a bike in the pouring rain with nothing but a duffel bag and a change of clothes, Iris Tilford arrives.  She has made this visit, not only to make amends of her past, but to also find the truth of what really happened all those years ago when a high school friend, Jocelyn Howard, died the night at The Pavilion for an sports awards night.  Did Jocelyn commit suicide, as so many have believed, or was it murder.
     Annie and Max Darling, a couple loved by all is having a pre summer party for their friends at the same Pavilion ten years later but many, who have been hiding secrets for 10 years are not looking forward to the invitation.  Annie befriends Iris on her second day in Broward County and invites her to the get together.  Iris hopes that the party will somehow trigger a memory of that tragedy because at the time, Iris had a drug dependency that clouded her thinking, that she now has conquered.  Are the memories she has a true depiction of Jocelyn’s last minutes or were the visions due to the drugs?
     The night of the Darling’s party, tragedy strikes again, Iris Tilford if found dead in the woods right off the path of the Pavilion.  All in attendance are now suspects. Annie and Max can’t believe that any of their friends could be a murderer, until they start trying to put together the puzzle pieces of who killed Iris and who has just tried to kill them too.  Could it be Emma Clyde, the resident eccentric mystery writer who is having a writer’s block and needs an idea for her next book?  Or maybe even Liz and Russell Montgomery who are very defensive and was one of the last two that saw Jocelyn before she died that tragic night so many years ago?  Or what about Fran and Buck Carlisle, Max knows he is lying but what about exactly?  Could it be Cara Wilkes, who after her failed marriage and loss of her young daughter has also returned to become a successful realtor, but there is evidence that belongs to her that was left at the scene of the Darlings’ attempted murder?
     And then another student from the same graduating class but not a member of the clique also turns up dead.
     The reader will be able to visualize and know a community just like Broward’s County through the vivid descriptions the writer conveys.  The exceptional writing by this author regarding this close knit circle of friends will pull the reader in to wanting and feeling like the characters are true life friends.  The suspense, at times, so intense, that the reader has to continue turning the page.  This was a truly enjoyable book of suspense and mystery.
Format at request of Bestsellersworld.

DISCLAIMER

I received a copy of this book, at no charge to me,
in exchange for my honest review.
No items that I receive
are ever sold…they are kept by me,
or given to familn and/or friends.

Dare To Die by Carolyn Hart
Published by Avon Mystery
ISBN 978-0-06-145305-2
At the request of Bestsellersworld, a PB copy was sent, at no cost to me, for my honest opinion.
     On the quaint island of Broward’s Rock, a native daughter has returned after a ten (10) year absence. Riding a bike in the pouring rain with nothing but a duffel bag and a change of clothes, Iris Tilford arrives.  She has made this visit, not only to make amends of her past, but to also find the truth of what really happened all those years ago when a high school friend, Jocelyn Howard, died the night at The Pavilion for an sports awards night.  Did Jocelyn commit suicide, as so many have believed, or was it murder.
     Annie and Max Darling, a couple loved by all is having a pre summer party for their friends at the same Pavilion ten years later but many, who have been hiding secrets for 10 years are not looking forward to the invitation.  Annie befriends Iris on her second day in Broward County and invites her to the get together.  Iris hopes that the party will somehow trigger a memory of that tragedy because at the time, Iris had a drug dependency that clouded her thinking, that she now has conquered.  Are the memories she has a true depiction of Jocelyn’s last minutes or were the visions due to the drugs?
     The night of the Darling’s party, tragedy strikes again, Iris Tilford if found dead in the woods right off the path of the Pavilion.  All in attendance are now suspects. Annie and Max can’t believe that any of their friends could be a murderer, until they start trying to put together the puzzle pieces of who killed Iris and who has just tried to kill them too.  Could it be Emma Clyde, the resident eccentric mystery writer who is having a writer’s block and needs an idea for her next book?  Or maybe even Liz and Russell Montgomery who are very defensive and was one of the last two that saw Jocelyn before she died that tragic night so many years ago?  Or what about Fran and Buck Carlisle, Max knows he is lying but what about exactly?  Could it be Cara Wilkes, who after her failed marriage and loss of her young daughter has also returned to become a successful realtor, but there is evidence that belongs to her that was left at the scene of the Darlings’ attempted murder?
     And then another student from the same graduating class but not a member of the clique also turns up dead.
     The reader will be able to visualize and know a community just like Broward’s County through the vivid descriptions the writer conveys.  The exceptional writing by this author regarding this close knit circle of friends will pull the reader in to wanting and feeling like the characters are true life friends.  The suspense, at times, so intense, that the reader has to continue turning the page.  This was a truly enjoyable book of suspense and mystery.
Format at request of Bestsellersworld.

DISCLAIMER

I received a copy of this book, at no charge to me,
in exchange for my honest review.
No items that I receive
are ever sold…they are kept by me,
or given to familn and/or friends.

Still Missing by Chevy Stevens (ARC)
Published by St. Martin’s Press
ISBN 978-0-312-59567-8
At the request of both St. Martin’s Press and Librarything, an ARC was sent, at no cost to me, for my honest opinion.
  Synopsis (from book): On the day she was abducted, Annie O’Sullivan, a thirty-two-year-old realtor, had three goals-sell a house, forget about a recent argument with her mother, and be on time for dinner with her ever-patient boyfriend. The Open house is slow, but when her last visitor pulls up in a van as she’s about to leave, Annie thinks it just might be her lucky day after all.
  But nothing could be further from the truth.
  Through sessions with her psychiatrist, Annie retells the terrifying story of the year she spent captive in a remote mountain cabin. Interwoven is a second narrative recounting the aftermath of her escape and her struggle to piece her life back together.
  The truth doesn’t always set you free.
  My Thoughts and Opinion: There is a buzz about this book around the blogosphere and now I know why. The following review is very generalized because I will not include any spoilers, which there were many throughout the novel. The author writes a phenomenal story, whereas she gets inside the head of Annie O’Sullivan and conveys those emotions to the reader. It was a true Stockholm Syndrome account, that at times, read as a non fiction. I must admit that I did think of Elizabeth Smart while reading this book and thinking that she might have lived through this same type of horrifying ordeal. The chapters are broken down to individual therapist’s appointments where Annie relives and tells of a different incident that she dealt with. The plot was of a horrifying, “page turning”, “can’t put down” story that Annie lived through and her thought process to survive. At times, I found myself holding my breath, as the writer tells of different details that Annie had to deal with, both physical and emotional torture.. There were sub plots of Annie’s life before, during, and after the abduction. And the relationships of those that she loved and trusted. The suspense was fast paced and palpable !!! The ending was an alarming, surprising and intense finale!!! This is one author to watch !!! I highly recommend this book be read.